I’ve been feeling uninspired lately. The lack of color, bitterly cold days, and fleeting sunlight seem to suggest nothing more than big, comforting pans of lasagna and hearty bowls of carbonara. While I enjoy these meals, the monotony of eating them everyday leaves me craving something bright to refresh my palette and my mind.
I spent most of last week sick, and longed to lift the fog that had settled in my head. I didn’t feel well enough to leave my apartment, nor did I have much produce on hand other than oranges. A can of coconut milk in the front of the pantry caught my eye though, and I thought the combination, while unfamiliar, seemed intriguing. I threw the two together in a blender, along with a touch of freshly ground nutmeg [for a bit of warmth], and chia seeds [for the added nutrients].
The end result was exactly what I had envisioned, and craved — a creamy, comforting base with bright notes of citrus. An unexpected combination, that together made perfect sense. After writing the recipe, I came across a few other bloggers who had put together strikingly similar combinations, and I realized that I wasn’t so inventive after all [I guess in the heart of winter, there are only so many combinations to be made from the produce at hand]. While acknowledging the redundancy, I’m sharing my recipe with you anyway, as in my mind there can never be too many takes on one thing. I hope it brightens your day the same way it did mine.
winter citrus smoothie
This smoothie combines bright citrus with an unexpected warmth from freshly ground nutmeg. The two together work beautifully, especially amid a creamy, rich base. Comfort in a glass.
ingredients:
1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
1/3 cup whole fat coconut milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3-4 ice cubes (optional)
Add all ingredients to a blender (ice cubes are optional – I like my smoothies to have an icy quality, but if you prefer yours creamier, feel free to omit them), and blend until smooth. Serve in a glass and garnish with chia seeds and nutmeg. (Serves 1).
